The invention relates to a switchgear cabinet with a switchgear box, with several modules and with a mounting rail, the modules being attached on the mounting rail.
In factories and in shop and assembly sheds there are large-area, module-oriented switchgear cabinets, usually in large numbers and at stipulated locations. In these, often closet-sized switchgear cabinets there are a host of electrical and electronic components and devices which are necessary to supply and control the various machines which are dispersed in the shop. Typically the electrical and electronic units and devices which are located in these switchgear cabinets include power switches, power packs, input/output modules, fuses, transformers and terminals for access wiring and for intermediate and outgoing routing. The individual electrical or electronic components and devices are arranged in a module-oriented manner in the switchgear cabinet, i.e in one area of the switchgear cabinet there are for example several input/output modules, in another area, all the power switches.
Classical switchgear cabinets of the aforementioned type have several disadvantages. First of all, due to their size they require a large amount of space. Because of the module-oriented structure of the switchgear cabinet, expansion of the latter which is necessary due to modification of an individual machine is very complex. This requires careful and complex individual design of each individual switchgear cabinet, the demand for units and devices of current and future machines having to be considered. To enable later modification of a machine at all, therefore frequently a larger number of units and devices is installed as a back-up in the switchgear cabinet. On the one hand, this causes additional costs due to the back-up units and devices, on the other the amount of space required is further increased thereby. The complex cross wiring of the individual units and devices via terminal blocks which are used as intermediate wiring blocks is especially disadvantageous. This cross wiring is on the one hand very time consuming, on the other it can only be done by personnel with a high level of specialization and then is still highly subject to error. Once a fault occurs, on the one hand troubleshooting is very difficult and thus time-consuming, on the other it can be necessary to turn off most of the machines for a longer time under certain circumstances.
In recent years a reduction in the cost of classical individual wiring of these units or devices has begun due to the use of bus systems in the connection of sensors, actuators, and also various input-output modules. Thus the object of this invention is to use the advantages which this bus system offers in data and power transmission for a new generation of switchgear cabinets as well. Here the above described disadvantages of the classical switchgear cabinets will be avoided.
The aforementioned object is first of all essentially achieved by the switchgear cabinet being function block-oriented and modular, specifically all modules necessary for a machine and only they are installed. The switchgear cabinet as claimed in the invention thus contains only the number of modules which is necessary for its dedicated function. Due to the modular structure of the switchgear cabinet optimum matching to the requirements of each individual machine is possible. Otherwise the amount of space necessary is much less and standardized switchgear cabinet boxes can be used.
For the purposes of the invention modules are defined as all electrical or electronic units and devices which are typically located in a classical switchgear cabinet, for example power packs, power switches, input/output modules, fuses and transformers. The modules do not differ in their technical function from the electrical and electronic units and devices of a classical switchgear cabinet, but only in their simpler manner of installation and removal.
According to one especially advantageous embodiment of the invention the individual modules are mounted in the switchgear cabinet and connected among one another such that they can be interchanged without tools. In doing so electrical connection of the individual modules among one another by means of contact swords takes place so that cross wiring is unnecessary. Because it is possible to replace each individual module regardless of its position in the switchgear cabinet or to add new modules, it is no longer necessary to make available back-up modules so that the material cost can be greatly reduced.
According to one especially advantageous embodiment of the invention the individual modules are mounted in the switchgear cabinet and connected among one another such that they can be interchanged without tools. In doing so electrical connection of the individual modules among one another by means of contact blades takes place so that cross wiring is unnecessary. Because it is possible to replace each individual module regardless of its position in the switchgear cabinet or to add new modules, it is no longer necessary to make available back-up modules so that the material cost can be greatly reduced.
Advantageously the switchgear cabinet as claimed in the invention has internal potential and data routing with a universal busbar. For this reason the individual modules are also supplied with the necessary electrical power when an individual module is defective or is being replaced.